Apparatus for removing alpha covering from alpha core



Oct. 10, 1933. H GAYLQRD APPARATUS FoR REMOVING A COVERING FROM A GOREFiled Dec. l0, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l OC. 10, 1933. H. F. GAYLORD3,929,921

APPARATUS FOR`REMOVING A COVERING FROM A CORE Filed Deo. l0, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FORREMOVING A COVERING FROM A CORE Harlow F. Gaylord, La Grange, Ill.,assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., acorporation'of New York Application December 10, 1930 Serial No. 501,315

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for removing a covering from acore, and more particularly to an apparatus for removing sheath from alead covered cable.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, ecient, andypractical apparatusV for removing a sheath from lead covered cablewithout preliminarily slitting the sheath.

In one embodiment of the invention a pair of pressing rollers areprovided for flattening a lead covered cable, for example, a telephonecable, guided therebetween, and simultaneously advancing the flattenedcable between guides to oppositely disposed rotatable cutters.Positioned immediately adjacent the points of slitting are deflectingmembers spaced suniciently to allow the passage of the cabletherebetween and having their deflecting surfaces of such curvature todeflect the slit portions of the sheath away from the core and betweenadvancing rollers which aid in advancing the cable and continue theadvancement thereof after Athe cable has passed from betweenthe'pressing rollers. Guides positioned in advance of the press- -ingrollers, the pressing rollers, the guides between the pressing rollersand the cutters, the cutters, the deflecting members and the advancingrollers are all adjustable to accommodate cables of various sizes.- Y

-The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescriptions, taken Yin connection with the appended drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view ofthe apparatus, portions thereofbeing broken away;

Fig. 2 is atop plan View of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken along.

the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of the operative connections of thevarious shafts with the power means;

'Fig 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the apparatus,and Y Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken just above theslitting knives and the derlecting members. v

vReferring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designatesimilar parts throughout the various views, a supporting base 10 hasmounted thereupon vertically extending supporting frames 11 and 12disposed in a parallel spaced relation and having connecting plates ormembers 13 and 14 extending across thev upper edges thereof andl rigidly"secured thereto. Adjacent the entrance end of the passageway betweenthe vertically extending frame members 11 and 12 are resilient guides15and 16 held by bolts to the frames 11 yand 12, re. spectively, attheir outer ends, theirinn'erv ends being disposed adjacent adjustingscrews1'7 and 18 by the aid of which the positions ofj the guides 15 and16, relative to each otherv,.rriay be varied. e

Positioned between the frames 11 and 12 near the inner ends of theguides 15 and 16 are pressing rollers 21`and 22'mounted upon shafts23and 24, respectively, and arranged to be rotated 'in opposite directionsto flatten and simultane-'f ously advance the cable guidedtherebetween-by the guides V15 and 16. The shaft 23 is journaled in theframes 11 and 12 and' has its ends extending outwardly therefrom forreceiving` sprockets 25 and 26 (Fig. 5) which are keyed in the endthereof adjacentthe vframe 11 and for receiving a sprocket 27 whichiskeyed to the end thereof adjacent the frame 12. A chain 28 passingover the sprocket 2,7,operatively connects the shaft 23 witha sprocket29 of a power;l means (not shown). The shaft 24 is journal'ed inadjustablel bearing blocks 32 movablydisf, posed in guides in the frames11 and 12, the ends ofthe shaft 24 extending outwardly frein the bearingblocks. The bearing blocks 32 Yaref supported by adjusting screws 33Aextending through threaded apertures in the connecting plateA 13 forvarying the relative positions ofthe rollers 21 and 22. Mounted upon theouter .end of the shaft 24 adjacent a frame 1l are sprock-r` ets 34 and35, the sprocket 34 having a chain 36 thereupon which passes around`afsprocket 37A mounted upon a shaft 33. The shaft 33 Yand a shaft 39extendvin parallel relationthrough the frame members 11 and 12, uponeach side of-A the guides 15 and 16, and areoperatvely cori-vv nected toeach other by interengaging gears 40 and 41 mounted upon the ends of theshafts 33 and 39 respectively adjacent the frame 12.

Power is transmitted from .the shaft` 23` through the sprocket 25, achain 42, a sprocket 43 on the shaft Y39, from the Yshaft 39 vthroughthe gears 41 and 40 to the shaft 38, and from theshaft 38 throughthesprocket 37, thechain 36 and the sprocket34 to the shaft 24, thusrotating theroller 22 in' a counterclockwise direction and at the samespeed in which the roller 21 is rotated in a clockwise direction.Positioned in frontl of the roller 21is "a stationary guide 50 servingasia platform-to guide the cable when advanced. Above the stationaryguide and disposed in parallel relation therewith is an adjustable guide5l carried by a bracket 52 which is fixed to the guide blocks 32 so asto effect a simultaneous adjustment of the guide 51 when the roller 22is adjusted in position relative to the roller 21. At the sides of theguides 50 and 51 are tapered guide blocks 53 and 54, movably disposed inthe frames 11 and 12 and connected together by an adjusting screw 55provided with right-hand and left-hand threads receivable in similarlythreaded apertures in the guide blocks (Figs. l, 2 and 4).

In advance of the guides 56 and 51 are rotatable slitting knives 56(Figs. l, 2 and 3), which are equal in diameter and rotatably carried byadjustable supports 57, connected together by an adjustable screw 58provided with right-hand and left-hand threads and positioned insimilarly threaded apertures in the supports 57 so as to move thesupports toward or away from each other during the rotation of Vtheadjusting screw. The adjustable supports 57 have outwardly extendingprojections 59 which are receivable in cutaway portions inthe framesllj'and 12 to allow the adjustable supports to be moved toward or 'awayfrom each other, yet holding the slitting knives 56 in any desiredposition.

Adjustable defleoting members 62, having outwardly flared surfaces 63and 64, are movably disposed in cutaway portions 65 of the frames 11 and12 and are arranged to be moved relative to each other by adjustingscrews 66, carried by the frames 11 and 12 and having their innerthreaded ends receivable in threaded apertures of the deecting members.The narrow inner portions of the deecting members 62 havey partiallyconforming to the slitting knives 56 and terminating immediatelyadjacent the slitting positions to immediately move the slit portions ofthe sheath away from the core.

At the foreward ends of the deflecting surfaces 63 and 64 are positionedadvancing rollers 70, 71, 72 and 73, the advancing rollers 70.and 71being positioned to receive the upper portion of the sheath, while therollers 72 and 73 are positioned to receive the lower portion of thesheath. The advancing rollers 70, 71, 72 and 73 are mounted upon shafts74, 75, 76 and 77, respectively, the ends of the shafts 75 and 77 beingjournaled in the frames 11 and` 12, while the ends of the shafts 74 and76 are journaled in bearing blocks 78 and 79, respectively. The positionof the roller 70 relative to the roller 71 may be varied by movement ofadjusting screws 83, which extend through threaded apertures in theconnecting plate 14, and the relativepositions of the rollers 72 and 73may be varied by4 movement of adjusting screws 84. The operativeconnection of the shafts 74, 75, 76 and 77 with the power means isillustrated in Fig. 5 wherein there is shown a chain 87 extending aroundthe sprocket 26 of the shaft 23 and around a sprocket 88 of the shaft 77and a chain 89 extending around a sprocket 90 of the shaft 77 and arounda sprocket 91r of the shaft 75. A chain 92 extending around the sprocket35 of the shaft 24 and a sprocket 93 of the shaft 74 to Vrotate in acounterclockwise direction and due to a sprocket, and chain connection94 the shaft 76 is operatively connected to the shaft 74 and is rotatedin the same direction. Y

L9aa921 From the foregoing description of the varid ous parts of theapparatus the operation thereof may be more clearly understood. When theapparatus is in operation, the pressing roller 2l rotating in aclockwise direction and the pressing roller 22 rotating in acounterclockwise diection a cable' is fed between the shafts 38 and 39and moved forwardly between the guides 15 and 16 'and into engagementwith the pressing rollers. The pressing rollers 21 and 22 willimmediately grip the cable, compress it and simultaneously advance thecable in the fiattened condition between the guides 50 and 51. Themovement of the cable is continuous and at a' predetermined speed sothat when it passes from between the guides 50, 51, 53 and 54, it `willpass between the slitting knives 56. Due to the flattened condition ofthe cable the sheath may be slit upon opposite sides by the knives 56,thus separating the sheath into two Substantially flat strips which willimmediately engage the deected surfaces 63 and 64 of the deflectingmembers 62 and be guided so that the upper strip will be moved intoengagement with the advancing rollers 70 and 7l and the lower strip willbe guided between the advancing rollers 72 and 73. The deecting members62 are spaced sufficiently to allow the core of the cable vto passtherebetween to. the exterior of the apparatus where it may be receivedby any suitable means (not shown). The strip portions of the sheath,when engaged by the advancing rollers 70, 71, 72 and 73, will be drawnout rof the apparatus and the advancing rollers will continue to rdrawthe cable between the knives v56 after the cable has passed completelyfrom between the pressing rollers 21 and 22.

With this apparatus, a cable may be fed between the pressing rollersandv advanced continuously past the slitting knives and through theapparatus without preliminarily threading the cable in the apparatus andwithout rst slitting the sheath. The shafts 38 and 39, positioned oneabove and one below the guides 15 and 16, rotate inthe proper directionsto aid in advancing the cable to the pressing rollers 21 and 22. Tocondition the apparatus for receiving a different size cable-the guidesl5 and 16 are moved by the adjusting screws 17 and 18 to accommodate thecable. The pressing roller 22 is also moved relative to the roller 21 byrotation of the adjusting screws 33 and at the same time movement isVvimparted to the adjustable` guide 51 to properly position it relativeto the guide 50. The guide blocks 53 and 54 are moved laterallytoaccommodate the different sized cable. Accurate guiding of the cablethrough the apparatus is essential and for this reason the guides 56 and51 and the guides 53 and 54 are positioned as closely together aspossible, thus servingv as means for retaining the compressed conditionof the cable. The advancing Yrollers 70 and 72 may be moved relative tothe rollers 71 and 73, respectively, to accommodate a sheath ofdifferent thickness. l

While the invention hasbeen described with reference to a specificembodiment thereof, it is understood that various modifications may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.-

What is lclaimed is:

1. In an Aapparatus for removing a sheath froma cable, a pair ofpressing rolls, means for guiding a sheathed cable between said pressingrolls, means for adjusting one of said pressing rolls relative to theother whereby the rolls may flatten the cable guided therebetween,ymeans for retaining the flattened condition of the cable, and meansassociating said retaining means with said adjustable means for eiectinga simultaneous adjustment or said retaining means and said adjustablepressing roll.

2. In an apparatus for removing a sheath from a core, a pair of rollsfor compressing the sheathed core and advancing the sheathed core to aslitting means, fixed surface means for receiving the compressedsheathed core from between said pressing rolls and for maintaining thecompressed condition of the sheathed core while being advanced to aslitting means, and means for slitting the sheath.

3. In an apparatus for removing a sheath from a core, a pair of rollsfor compressing the sheathV and advancing the sheathed core, stationarymeans for receiving the compressed sheathed core from between saidpressing rolls and for maintaining the compressed condition of thesheathed core while being advanced to a slitting means, means forslitting the sheath, a deecting member for defiecting the slit portionsof the sheath in transverse directions, and advancing rolls disposedadjacent the termination of said deecting member for receiving yandadvancing the portions of the sheath.

4. In an apparatus for removing a sheath from a-core, a pair of rollsfor compressing and advancing the sheathed core, one of said rolls beingmovable relative to the other, means for slitting the sheath whileadvanced, guide members extending between said rolls and said slittingmeans for retaining the compressed condition of the sheathed core whilebeing advanced, one of said guide members being movable with saidmovableroll, and'means for moving said movable roll and said movableguide for varying the positions thereof relative to their respectivemembers.

5. In an apparatus for removing a sheath from a core, a pair of rollsfor compressing the sheathed core and advancing the sheathed core to aslitting means, iiat retaining elements extending in parallelrelationship and tangentially to the peripheries of said compressingrolls and spaced from each other a sunicient distance to retain thecompressed condition of the sheathed core while being advanced to aslitting means, and means disposed adjacent said retaining elements forslitting the sheath.

HARLOW F. GAYLORD.v

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